Small Deciduous Forest

This tiny patch of untouched tender forest is packed to the brim with life, squirming and flying all around, covering every inch of space as roots and branches reach out into the unknown spaces, and puddles of still water protect colonies of tadpoles hoping to one day hop along the branches of some nearby tree. You sit and absorb the beauty, coming to terms with the absence of earth in your life ever since you moved to the big city. Deciduous means "falling off at maturity" or "tending to fall off", and is typically used in reference to trees or shrubs that lose their leaves seasonally, and to the shedding of other plant structures such as petals after flowering or fruit when ripe. In a more general sense, deciduous means the dropping of a part that is no longer needed, or falling away after its purpose is finished. In plants it is the result of natural processes. Deciduous has a similar meaning when referring to animal parts, such as deciduous antlers in deer, or deciduous teeth, also known as baby teeth, in some mammals (including human children). The converse of deciduous is evergreen, where green foliage is persistent year round. Plants that are intermediate may be called semi-deciduous; they lose old foliage as new growth begins. Other plants are semi-evergreen and lose their leaves before the next growing season, retaining some during winter or dry periods.